


Kept Promises

by mahamaon



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, P5R Spoilers, Post-Canon, Underage Drinking, but it gets fluffier, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24503185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahamaon/pseuds/mahamaon
Summary: All signs point to Akechi being gone. Ren knows this. Yet, he still holds on, searching for clues. After all, it's easy to be in denial when the person in question has a penchant for surviving things they shouldn't.The fact is, they made a deal, and Ren is a man of his word.(Post P5R's true ending)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	Kept Promises

_People come and they go_   
_Some people may stay with you though_   
_I am all alone tonight and I kept on_   
_Asking myself questions_

“Excuse me, could I get a refill of this?”

The waiter who was passing by gave him a short nod, and soon disappeared behind the bar.

Ren readjusted his glasses for what seemed like the hundredth time, and slumped back into his chair with a sigh. Not only could he not find any of the information he was searching for, but the harsh light of his laptop was beginning to give him a headache. Resigned, the boy decided to take in the soothing ambience of the jazz club and contemplate his current situation.

Five months ago, Ren and his friends had rejected Maruki’s false reality in favor of deciding their own fates. Soon after defeating the counselor, the Phantom Thieves had formally disbanded, each rebel going their separate ways. The entire ordeal was bittersweet, but necessary. Ren himself had returned to his home in the countryside along with Morgana and had begun his final year of high school. Life had, for the most part, returned to a monotonous normal. The group chat was the only thing that collectively got them through those first months apart.

Ren smiled to himself, thinking of Ann’s constant selfies from America, and Futaba’s unprompted analyses of whatever anime she happened to be absorbed in. He was worried the group would grow distant, but if anything their bonds had strengthened, most likely due to the aftermath of the battle with Maruki, where they had realized just how vital it was that they had each other to lean on. It was now August, and the former thieves had decided to have a reunion during the time they had off for summer break. And as excited Ren was to see all of his friends in person again, he just couldn’t shake the sinking feeling he had at the bottom of his stomach.

_Conceited I was at a time_   
_I never really doubted myself_   
_But tonight got me thinking about it all_   
_If I am the fool or what not_

Yes, they had put an end to Maruki’s illusion. Yes, they were once again in control of their futures. But at what cost?

Ren reached down, and tentatively put his hand inside his pocket, his fingers curling around the smooth object inside. A glove, without its partner, and the last thing he had received from Akechi before his sudden disappearance. It was a reminder of the rematch they never had the chance to have.

_**Let’s make a deal… ok? You won’t say no… will you?** _

_**I’ll hold on to your glove.** _

_**Heh… After all this, that’s what you have to say? Seriously, you really are...** _

Returning to Tokyo was difficult for Ren. It was true that they had all experienced their own individual losses when returning to reality; Futaba had to once again live through the pain of losing her mother, Haru being in a similar situation with her father, and so on. Yet, Ren couldn’t entirely relate to any of their situations. Whereas most had lost a family member who was already long gone, or a second chance at a shattered dream, Ren had lost someone he didn’t even believe was gone in the first place: Goro Akechi.

_I do not_   
_Regret my choices, I'm rather proud_   
_Ooh, yet I know I won't change_   
_Anything,_   
_Because I can only be me, so_

Dangling Akechi’s life in front of them as a bargaining chip had been a dirty move on Maruki’s part, but Ren didn’t regret his decision to reject Maruki’s offer in the slightest, especially since it was what the detective had wanted. He didn’t want pity or a second chance, he simply wanted to once again be in charge of his own truth just like the rest of them. It was admirable, facing your own demise with unwavering conviction, even if it made Ren feel a bit empty inside.

**_Say, Amamiya-kun… Didn’t you regret how things ended with him?_ **

As Maruki had implied the day before their final showdown, what Ren regretted was not being able to save the other boy in the first place. While the two weren’t necessarily close in the traditional sense, he couldn’t help but feel that he was the closest thing to a friend Akechi had ever had. The time they had spent together was refreshing; compared to Ren’s other confidants, Akechi had asked nothing of him, save for conversation. He didn’t have to work for the other boy’s affection, their bond was strong from the start, and Ren truly felt that their connection wasn’t simply an act expertly put on by Akechi. The detective had revealed his troubled past bit by bit to Ren, which he gladly listened to, never judging. However, Ren never felt he did enough for the troubled teen; part of him wondered if he could have avoided the engine room encounter entirely without Maruki’s intrusion if he had just been a bit more vigilant early on. Yes, Akechi was up at the very top of Ren’s regrets, a list that consisted of the few he was unable to save during his time as a thief.

_How can I be so sure?_   
_At a crossroads, I'm afraid too_   
_But I can't let fear get the best of me_   
_Someone once said burn my dread, babe_

Ren shook his head, effectively ending that train of thought. There was no point dwelling on the past now; he would only end up hurting himself more. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, there was nothing Ren could do anymore, as Akechi’s fate was sealed. He just had to continue on, and maybe one day he would be provided with an opportunity to make good on their promise in some shape or form. In a way, the bond they once shared was driving Ren forward.

Still, Ren had to admit that processing his grief would be a lot easier if he didn’t have to bottle everything up inside. Akechi was a sensitive topic among the rest of the thieves, with good reason. He had betrayed them and hurt them repeatedly; even though he ended up being just a gun in his father’s hand, his cruelties were hard to look past for many. Ren really couldn’t blame his friends, especially since they had never truly been able to get to know Akechi like he did, never been able to know that the vengeful criminal they encountered within Shido’s palace was just as much of an act as his Detective Prince persona.

_**The more I get to know you, the more it makes me think. I wonder why that is?** _

He could be vulnerable, too. Ren missed that aspect of him; it was a good look on the detective.

He wished he could make the ache in his heart go away.

_Who knows what tomorrow holds?_   
_Just wanna live my life the way I want_   
_What fills up my soul is passionate_   
_Music that makes me want to sing_

“...Sir?”

Flinching slightly at the voice, Ren was pulled away from his thoughts, which was probably for the best. He didn’t like where they were headed. He looked up at the server in front of him holding his refill. It looked as if he had been there for awhile.

Ren rubbed his neck sheepishly before responding. “Sorry, I guess I tuned out for a bit there. Thank you for the refill.”

The man smiled kindly. “No problem. I was about to ask if there was anything else I could help you with when I saw you looked a bit pale. You sure you’re alright, son?”

“No need to worry, it’s nothing one of these bad boys can’t fix,” Ren answered, taking a sip and sitting up straighter as if to prove his point.

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it. And even though it may not be the smartest move business-wise, I suggest you go home when you’re done with that one. It’s getting late, and frankly, you look tired. It’s the eyes, they give you away,” he added with a wink when Ren feigned shock that his acting wasn’t foolproof.

Ren nodded, and soon he was alone again. He decided to take the man’s words to heart when he checked the time, and hurriedly gulped down his drink. He clearly wasn’t going to get any further in his work, anyway. Perhaps the jazz club, with all that it represented, was too distracting for Ren at this time.

_My story will be starring me just like yours, ooh ooh_   
_Who knows when will it end_   
_What matters most is how you bring joy to life, so..._

After packing up the few items he had brought into the club, Ren climbed the stairs and exited the building, appreciating the cool night air. He headed over to the food stall that Morgana liked to wait at whenever Ren had business in Kichijoji. Sure enough, there the cat was, slinking around the tables and waiting for an oblivious or drunk customer to drop food on the ground.

“What took you so long? You had me worried!” meowed the cat angrily while hopping up onto a nearby wall when he caught sight of Ren.

“Really? It sure didn’t look like you were worried. Please, don’t let me get in the way of you hunting for scraps,” Ren grinned back.

Morgana turned his nose up at him. “Hmph! I’m choosing to ignore that. Can we just get going before the trains stop running? You really shouldn’t be out this late, even if it’s summer!”

Instead of answering, Ren just reached out and made a big deal of rubbing Morgana’s face, much to the cat’s dismay. After several noisy complaints on Morgana’s part, Ren began to head to the station, Morgana in tow.

\--

Morgana popped out of Ren’s bag once they had arrived in the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. “I’ve been meaning to ask... Did you find anything?” Morgana asked tentatively.

“No, not quite. Although, I think going back to Kichijoji was a bad idea in general. Pretty much was just lost in my own head the whole time.”

“That’s to be expected, though. I’m sure it brought back some… complicated memories.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll stick to working in Leblanc for now. It’ll be easier to focus. Plus, I’m sure I’ll stumble upon some info soon.”

Morgana had a complicated expression on his face. “Ren, I know you explained what you were searching for on the way here, but I-- the metaverse is gone so I’m--”

“Morgana.” Ren came to an abrupt stop, and after a few seconds the cat turned to look him in the eyes. “I know. But I can’t give up hope yet. I owe him that much.”

Morgana looked like he had more he wanted to add, but he didn’t push it. A slightly uncomfortable silence fell upon the pair as they got closer to the café .

Lately, Ren had been researching cognitive psience on the side. It seemed a little pointless, now that everything had blown over, but he wanted a better understanding of why it had all happened in the first place. In addition to the already unbelievable palaces and personas there was the Velvet Room and its attendants, Jose’s cryptic warnings, Akechi’s uncertain fate… He was left with too many questions to be satisfied. At the very least, it was an interesting area of study.

Unfortunately, other than Wakaba Isshiki and Maruki, it seemed very few other people seemed to share his interest to the same extent. Sure, dozens of books had been written on the topic, but most contained the same rehashed information as all the others, and the majority only referenced the metaverse in an abstract sense rather than as something tangible. Needless to say, it had been difficult locating any useful research on the topic, but Ren was determined nevertheless.

Before he knew it, they had arrived outside of Leblanc, the sign still flipped to open. Sojiro had offered to let Ren stay in the spare bedroom in his house this time around, but Ren politely declined. The attic was nostalgic, and he liked the relative privacy.

At the ring of the bell, Sojiro looked up from his newspaper and gave a soft smile. “Welcome back.”

As Morgana immediately headed for the stairs, Ren acknowledged Sojiro’s greeting with a nod. “I hope you weren’t waiting to close up shop for me.”

“Don’t worry about it, kid. It’s nice to see you come through that door again, I was beginning to miss it.”

Ren allowed himself a laugh. “Still, don’t let me hold you up. I’m sure Futaba would rather you be at home.”

“And she’d rather you be there, too, but someone wanted to stay in the dirty old attic of a café instead of an actual bedroom,” Sojiro chided, a gleam in his eye.

“Touché.”

Sojiro walked over to the opposite side of the counter and opened up a drawer, looking for something. “By the way, have you been giving out the address of this place as your own again? Not that I’m mad, but you haven’t even been back that long and some mail already came for you.”

Puzzled, Ren walked over to where Sojiro was still rummaging through the drawer. “Huh?” he added, eloquently.

Seemingly finding what he had been looking for, Sojiro stopped bustling around and instead pulled out a single envelope. “Aha! Here it is.” He turned it over a few times and scratched at his beard. “Hmm, I didn’t notice before, but there’s no return address. Someone must have dropped it off themselves.” The same shine returned to the man’s eyes. “Perhaps a girl you left behind?”

Ren rolled his eyes, but this detail made him even more confused. “You jealous?” he joked, grabbing the letter from Sojiro’s hands.

“Ha. You know I’m too old for that stuff,” he said, shaking his head. “Anyway, I’m gonna head back for the night. I’ll let you enjoy your mystery letter in private.” After putting on his hat and coat, he made his way over to the door, shaking his head once more. “Kids these days…”

They exchanged goodbyes, and soon Ren was left to speculate the contents of the envelope alone. He had only told the PT he was returning to Yongen, and if it was one of them they would have just texted. Could it be one of his old confidants, reaching out once more after seeing him around the city? He had changed his number since moving away, so it was viable.

Ren frowned, still unconvinced. Maybe it was a threat, or blackmail. If more people like Futaba existed, it was plausible that someone could have figured out his true identity even months after the fact. This wouldn’t be very surprising; he probably had a very incriminating virtual paper trail.

An exhausted sigh escaped his lips. He would find out in a bit. First, he would get ready for bed before Morgana came down and scratched his eyes out.

Ren walked quickly upstairs to grab a change of clothes and subsequently headed to the bathroom, the unopened letter lying on his bed serving as motivation. While brushing his teeth, Ren took a good look at himself in the mirror. His glasses and unkempt hair usually did a pretty good job of covering his face, but it only took a glance to see the dark eyebags he had obtained over the last couple of weeks. His skin had begun to take on a sickly tone as well; it was no wonder the waiter had thought something was wrong.

He wasn’t really surprised, though. Ren had suffered from nightmares for most of his life, and his once regular visits to the Velvet Room seemed to amplify them greatly. They had been particularly bad as of late, ranging from scarring reenactments of the past to brand new horrors he had yet to encounter. These vivid dreams coupled with his newfound passion project had served as ample fuel for his insomnia. As he was feeling particularly worn out, Ren felt confident he could finally get some rest and, hopefully, reduce the damage done to his face before reuniting with his friends.

Retreating back to the attic, Ren saw Morgana curiously examining the letter he had left behind.

“Who’s this from?” the cat questioned, tapping the paper.

“Not sure. Sojiro thinks it’s a love letter from a long abandoned mistress, confessing her undying adoration for me,” Ren said dramatically, clasping his hands together over his heart for added effect.

“A love letter? Please, you lack the charm. If anyone was getting a love letter, it would be me. After all, _I’m_ the perfect example of a true gentleman,” Morgana bragged, clearly proud of himself.

Ren pretended not to hear him and stared into the distance dreamily. “Could it be… from Ann?” he said teasingly. He tried to stifle his laughter when Morgana reacted just as expected.

“L-Lady Ann? W-Why would _she_ send you…” the cat blurted out too fast. “... You’re an idiot,” he added once he saw Ren’s grin.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Shall we find out what’s in it for real?”

Morgana nodded, and Ren took a breath before tearing the top off of the envelope and removing the letter. It appeared to be a short handwritten note on plain copy paper; nothing remarkable.

Ren could not say the same for the content of the letter, though. The breath he had taken moments prior got caught in his throat as he read through it once, and then again. His hands began to shake, and the sinking feeling returned to his stomach.

“Ren? You’re starting to scare me, what does it say?” Morgana asked, worry creeping into his voice after the boy had been silent for far too long.

Ren remained unresponsive, and soon the letter slipped out of his hand and unto the floor. When Ren made no move to retrieve it, Morgana pounced on the letter and scanned it once for himself.

Immediately, the cat’s eyes widened until they were reminiscent of his appearance in the metaverse. “This wording… You don’t think it’s from-- R-Ren??” Morgana abruptly cut himself off when he looked over to the boy and saw the tears slowly rolling down his face.

Ren continued to stare off into the distance, and it was only when Morgana jumped up into his lap to comfort him that he finally woke from his trance, wiping at the tears he didn’t even realize he had shed. He kept quiet, petting Morgana softly to calm himself down as the words from the letter replayed themselves over and over again in his head.

_So you’re back. I hope you haven’t forgotten our promise._

**Author's Note:**

> hey there! hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Kept Promises, tears and all :) lot of summarizing going on, but it's a necessary evil to get into the plot...
> 
> that being said, i'm still trying to figure out the fine details of this fic. updates may be a little slow at first, but i'm getting the hang of it!
> 
> i've been in this fandom for years, but i'm new to the writing scene... please go easy on me haha (although feedback is always welcome)! you can find me on twitter @call0fcha0s 
> 
> ( happy birthday, goro <3 )


End file.
